1. Field of the Invention
The present invention pertains to the field of high power semiconductor laser array packages, and more specifically provides a two-dimensional surface mounted diode laser array package configuration for high power laser output, which is efficient in operation.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Prior art diode laser packages required assembly from several parts made from different materials. In the present invention, the whole lower region of the surface mounted array package, upon which package laser diodes are mounted, is made from the same material and can be readily micro-machined, which facilitates; industrial production of the surface mounted 2-D diode laser array packages. The prior art high power diode laser packaging techniques mounted the diode laser bars on thin heat sink sheets and then stacked them together. These bar-stack packages have shortcomings compared to the surface-mount package, such as the difficulties for replacement of the dead or malfunctioning laser bars, difficulty for automatic manufacturing methods, requirement of high-reflectivity coating for the laser diodes, and ineffective heat removal.
The present invention overcomes the problems found in prior art devices and is intended for use in packaging high power semiconductor lasers in order to solve the current problems encountered by most of the current construction techniques. The two-dimensional semiconductor laser array package significantly reduces the distance between the hot spots of the laser diode and the heat sink, so that the heat generated in the laser diodes can be removed more efficiently. Since the mirrors and laser mounting stages can be made from the same material as the broad area heat sink, the whole package can be simply manufactured by conventional automated micro-machining technique. The diode lasers are mounted on the open surface of the package and between the angled mirrors, so they can be accessed easily for automated manufacturing and replacement of damaged lasers.